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Wednesday, 30 November 2005 | Elif Sungur
DoubleTake: Monet to Lichtenstein
Master Impressionists Meet Modern Works in Landmark Exhibition at Seattle's EMP; DoubleTake: Monet to Lichtenstein Opens April 2006
Opening in Seattle this coming April, DoubleTake will be a one-of-a-kind exhibition at Experience Music Project (EMP), pairing works from Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masters such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas and Vincent van Gogh with modern and contemporary works by such artists as Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, Jasper Johns and Roy Lichtenstein. Other artists featured in the exhibition will include Edouard Manet, Paul Cezanne, Georges Seurat, Paul Gauguin, Eric Fischl, Nan Goldin and Willem de Kooning, among others. Curated by renowned Impressionist expert and art historian Paul Hayes Tucker, DoubleTake features approximately 28 works on loan from collector and philanthropist Paul G. Allen, many of which have not been seen publicly in nearly 50 years. "For the past 100 years, images by Impressionist masters like Monet and Renoir have so penetrated the cultural landscape that they've almost lost their meaning," said Tucker. "By pairing them side-by-side with great contemporary and modern works, we can cast a new light on these magnificent canvases and learn to see them in a new way."
"EMP is a wonderful venue for this kind of show -- DoubleTake is an exhibition all about unexpected pairings of art, and EMP as a cultural institution celebrates such creativity," said Robert Santelli, artistic director at EMP. "The exhibition is not only about comparing and contrasting how artists think, but also about giving visitors a chance to see art with a fresh perspective. Frank Gehry's swoopy building is a great parallel example of using shape, line and color to express an idea, just as artists of all kinds have done over the centuries." The exhibition will be ticketed separately from EMP admission; pricing will be announced at a later date.
For each pairing in DoubleTake, Tucker selected works that initially might seem to be unrelated, but on closer analysis have a variety of common elements in style, subject and, often, meaning. For instance, Renoir's La Liseuse (1877) and Lichtenstein's The Kiss (1962) both focus on single women -- one having an independent, quiet moment in a private setting; the other in a "larger than life" embrace with a handsome airplane pilot. Both paintings are voyeuristic in nature, with La Liseuse clearly set in reality -- the details of her dress and environment carefully rendered -- while The Kiss could be more of a fantasy. The two works also share similar compositional tactics -- the figures held in place largely by the division of their respective backgrounds of darker and lighter sections meeting the subjects in each canvas. And finally, they share similar color relationships -- with strong areas of reds and blues used to demonstrate what are ultimately mundane, yet beautifully presented, subjects.
Another pairing, Monet's Rouen Cathedral: Afternoon Effect (1894) and Johns' Numbers (1978) seen together for the first time in history, reveal similar concerns about texture and relief, light and shade. The Monet painting, a part of what many scholars believe to be the artist's most accomplished series, uses thick paint and broken brushstrokes to suggest the physical dimensions of this gothic cathedral and its complex architectural details -- all illuminated with a magical combination of light and shade, much like the Johns sculpture. By comparison, Numbers also demonstrates strong relief, using depth and shadow to create meaning.
"This exhibition is really about looking at art afresh, unencumbered by history or the anchor of popular culture," said Tucker. "In their own ways, these paintings were cutting-edge, painted by rebels who sought to push art to a new level. By seeing them side-by-side in the company of fellow rebels, in a cultural institution that celebrates innovation and creativity, we can resurrect the true spirit that created them -- something you can't see when a Monet or other masterpiece is simply transposed to a postcard, poster or mug."
"This is an exciting exhibition for Seattle, and will make accessible a range of rare and unique work to our entire community," said Mimi Gates, director of the Seattle Art Museum. "DoubleTake will give Northwest residents and tourists an opportunity to see classic masterpieces and modern art. The exhibition, along with the fantastic shows at the Henry Art Gallery, Frye Art Museum, and the Seattle Asian Art Museum, will give our community a wonderful `summer of arts' for art-lovers and new fans alike."
Tucker, a renowned Monet expert, has served as guest curator for many exhibitions, including: Monet in the 20th Century at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Royal Academy of Arts in London; Monet, A Retrospective at the Bridgestone Museum in Tokyo, the Nagoya City Art Museum and the Hiroshima Museum of Art; and Monet in the '90s: The Series Paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Royal Academy of Arts, London. Tucker is also a leading Impressionist scholar who has published a variety of books including: The Impressionists at Argenteuil (2000); Monet in the 20th Century (1999); Manet's "Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe" (1998); Claude Monet: Life and Art (1995); Monet in the '90s: The Series Paintings (1990); and Monet at Argenteuil (1982).
DoubleTake will open in April 2006 for a six-month run at Experience Music Project in a newly renovated exhibit gallery. For more information, visit online at http://doubletake.emplive.org.
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